Wallet construction



Sept- 9, 1958 E. H. coPl-:N #2,851,284

wALLET'coNsTRUCu/ION Filed April 2e, 1955 @new Li nited States Patent iWALLET CONSTRUCTION Edward H. Copen, New York, N. Y.

Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,980

1 Claim. (Cl. 282-1) This invention relates generally to the pocketbookor wallet art, and more particularly to an improved form of walletconstruction of a type which may be constructed from synthetic resinousmaterials, and with a complete absence of stitch means. The inventionlies in the specific details of structure set forth hereinbelow.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provideimproved folding wallet or billfold construction which may be of arelatively compact form, while yet offering large capacity for theholding of bills, cards and similar planar articles, and preserving thesame in safe condition.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of improvedbillfold construction in which bills may be placed in such a manner asto be instantly available in selective fashion, it being possible towithdraw any desired bill of any particular denomination withoutdisturbing the position of bills remaining within the billfold.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of wallet orbillfold construction possessing the above advantages, in which the costof fabrication may be of a reasonably low order, with consequent widesale, distribution and use.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a novelmethod of stiffening certain planar portions of the device with respectto otherportions, to facilitate withdrawal of individual bills, asdesired.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of novel meanswhereby the purchaser of the device may imprint his individual signatureupon the outer surface of the device in a precious metal imprint, whichmetal is protected from subsequently rubbing olf during use by atransparent layer superposed thereon.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that bills may be withdrawnfrom the same while remaining in a folded condition, thereby permittingthe user to withdraw a single bill without disclosing lthe entirecontents of the wallet.

These features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, willbecome more clearly apparent during the course of the followingdisclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

On the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification,similar reference characters have been employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly broken away to show detail, ofan embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a second view in elevation of the embodiment, partiallybroken away to show detail, but showing the side disposed opposite thatshown on Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation partly broken away to show detailshowing the side illustrated on Figure 2, but in a closed or foldedcondition.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 4 4 onFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the withdrawal ofbills from the device when in a folded condition.

Patented Sept. 9, 1958 Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view as seenfrom the plane 6-6 on Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the formation ofan impression of the signature of a user.

Figure 8 is a view in elevation showing the withdrawal ofpressure-sensitive means after the completion of the formation of thedesired indicia, to permit the same to be viewed against a background ofdifferent color.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen fromthe plane 9--9 on Figure 2.

Figure l0 is a similar vertical sectional view as seen from the plane10-10 on Figure 8.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated byreference character 20, comprises broadly: a first pocket element 22which may incorporate indicia transfer means 23, a second pocket element24, and a third pocket element 26.

The rst pocket element is best seen on Figure l of the drawing, andincludes an outer planar member 30 which extends over the second andthird pocket elements 24 and 26, as well, and an inner laminated planarmember 32. As may be seen on Figure 6, this inner planar member includesa first lamina 29, a second lamina 31 and a stiftening member 33disposed between the laminae 29 and 31. The laminae 29 and 31 areinterconnected at the side edges 34 and 36, as well as the bottom edge38 with the outer planar member 30 and are interconnected with eachother at a free edge 40 to enclose the stiiening member 33. Where thedevice is made from synthetic resinous materials, these edges may beheat sealed, and where leather is employed, such edges may be stitchedand bound in well-known manner (not shown). The free edge 40 may beprovided with a finger indentation 42 to permit the contents of thepocket element 22 to be more easily emptied, as desired.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the outer planar member 30 is formed oflaminated construction, including an inwardly disposed lamina 44, whichis heat sealed at the edges thereof to an outwardly disposed lamina 46,the outwardly disposed lamina 46 preferably being of somewhat heaviergauge material. A rectangular slotted opening 48 having a Window 50 ofclear flexible material is formed in the outer lamina 46, as best seenon Figures 9 and 10, while the inner lamina 44 is provided with a smallslit 49 of length slightly greater than the width of the slotted opening48.

The indicia transfer means 23 is best seen on Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10,and includes a base member 52 of coated cellophane or similar materialhaving thereon a pressuresensitivetransferring media, as for example,beaten gold, or similar substance. The base member 52 is originallypositioned in the interstice between the inner and outer laminae 44 and46. A portion of the base member S2 projects through the slit 49. Toafix a signature, it is necessary only to sign ones name in the mannershown on Figure 7 using a pointed instrument 56, e. g. a pencil orballpoint pen, upon the window member 50. The pressure-sensitive mediawill transfer itself to the inner surface of the window 50, after whichthe base member 52 may be withdrawn by grasping that portionof the samewhich projects from the slit 49. The traced portion 57, as may be seenon Figure 8, becomes permanently afxed and is outlined by the darkerbackground formed by the inner surface of the inner lamina 44. Since thetraced portion 57 is disposed on the inner surface .of the window 50, itis not subject to being worn off during continuous use of the device.

The second pocket element 24 is best seen on Figures l, 4 and 6, andincludes an inner planar member 5S having two free substantiallyrectilinear edges 60 and 62, as well as two adjacent interconnectededges 64 and 66 positioned adjacent `correspondingledges on the outerplanar member 30.

The third pocket element 26 is generally similar to the second pocketelement 24, although somewhat smaller in over-alll con'g'uration. The`A'element 26-inc1udesan inner planar member 68, free edges 70 'and 72,as well as-interconnectededges l74 and'76.

While the inner planar'memberA of the-thirdpocket element V426 isVpreferably of unlaminated'constructin, the'l second pockety element24is formed toinclude A'an inner)l lamina 78and an outerl-laminaSO,between'whih is positioned astiffening member82,preferably formed ofthin cardboard, or-the like. The laminae78-'82-are preferably heatsealed at the 'edge-portions thereof" to form the inner planarvmembenSS` (seefF-igu'res 4 and 6) The free edge 62 thuspresentsafrelativelyunyielding line to` stresses-exertedwithin'the'plane of themer'n'b'er 58, the vpurpose of which"will become 'more-:apparent hereinafter.

yReferring `to FiguresZ, v3, 5fand6, they outer planar member 30 isprovided with a curvilinear-slit portion'v84 which extends through boththe inwardlyI disposed lamina 44 and the outwardly disposed lamina'46,the two laminae being preferably interconnected along the line" formingthe'slit 84.

Bills are normallystoredwi-thin the device in-`such manner thatportionsof the 'same' extend to ll both the second and third pocket'velements 24'and'26. As-"ma'y be seen on Figure y6, upon folding'thedeviceZO, the

bills, generally indicated by reference characte'f88,`ssurne alfolded-condition. Byturningbackwardly the foldable portion 86 adjacentthe slit 84, the'cornersofthe bills which'normallyY bear an indicationoftheirvalue may'v be exposed tothe viewer. Upon selectionofaf'singleb'ill, and grasping the same atthe exposedcornent maybe withdrawnfrom the device while thesamdisstill 'in folded condition, `as indicatedon 'Figure 6. Owing'to the factI that the edge 62 isstiffenedby the*rnernbe1-"'82, the bills are caused to remain in-srnooth`conditionlw'hile a single bill is being withdrawn, the static? friction'between the bills and with the exposed surfaces of the inner lplanarmember 58 being sufficient to maintain all oflthe'in in position withthe'exception of thefbill being withdrawn. Successive bills maybel-withdrawn in a-similar-rnnner until'all Yofthesamerha'vebeen'withdrawn through the slot-84, Yin each easeonlythefde'siifed bill moving out- Wardlyas withdrawn.

-Tofacilitate the folding ofthe `device,`the` foldv lines 92 and 94 maybeV performed-by lheat` sealing lin a well-known manner, so as toclearly dei-lne the-pocket'elementsauntil the vdeviceA has been usedsufficiently to'form naturali fold lines.

It is to be noted that the 'width of the stifeningmembers 33 and 82 arepreferably greater than that of the i bills V88, to preventl binding ofthe same within the device `causedby-inadvertentlyr grasping the deviceat the edges thereof to result in distorting the shape of the pocketelements 24 and 26.

It may thus be seen that I have invented novel and highly usefulimprovements in folding wallet construction, in which there has beenprovided a device which is simple to manufacture, as Well as to use.Owing to novel constructional features, it is possible to singly andselectively remove'lbills from the device while in a folded condition,thereby making it possible to conceal the contents of the wallet whileso doing. Means is provided Vwhereby/the Aowner may place his-signaturethereupon to be exposed on the outer surface of the device, therebypermitting the same to be personalized by the owner himself whendesired. The cost of manufacturing the device is materially reduced bythe use of synthetic resinous planar stock, sewing operations beingeliminated, where-desired by heat-sealing interconnected edges.

YI"wish it tol berunderstood -that'I -do'not'fconsiderfthe inventionlimitedto theI exact details of structure lshown and` SetrforthV in-this specification, forobvious modifications will-occur'tothose-skilled in thefart'towhich the present invention pertains.

'Wallet `Torf similar construction comprising: 'an outer lain-inalandlan inner lamina'- of opaque material, said outerV andjinnerla'minaebeing at leastpartially interconnee'td @at thefedge @portions thereof;one of said'fla'mir'lae having a narrow slotted opening, flexible'transparent planr-lmeansfuredly` 'disposed' within? said slotted'opening; neof--saidlaminae having va slit disposed adjacent o'nel'end-of 'said slotted opening; a IStripofpreSSu'resensitivetransferring' means narrower'than said slit'dis-` posed beneath saidtransparentplanar means with one end"` projecting -at-lea'st partiallythrough said slit;` whereby upon -theexertion-of localized pressure uponsaid flexible planar means, saidlpressureisensitive transferring meansmayv transfer material to an adjacent surfacey of onel ofsaid-#laminaeafterwhich said strip of transfer*l means may be withdrawnthrough said slit to permit said transfe'rred materialto be visiblethrough said transparent planarfmeans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS1,467,680 Oda Sept. 11,`1923 2,114,083 MOVUS Apr. 12, 1938 2,315,7024'Helbener `Apr. 6, 1943 2,511,533 Hyman L June 13, 1950 2,520,077Wolowitz 1. Aug. 22,1950 2,670,971 Johnson `Mar. `2, 1954

